It's Been Thirty Years
by That GF FAN
Summary: After being gone for 30 years, Dipper returns. But something's not right. 30 years can change a person, but not him. While he hasn't, everything around him has. He returns to a world of uncertainty, where his presence affects everyone around him. Especially his twin sister. A story by me, one year in the making. It literally took one year to write this. Art by moringmark on Tumblr.
1. Chapter 1: The Disappearance

_Tuesday July 23rd, 2013_

_Gravity Falls, Oregon_

* * *

The Pines were out for a family picnic. It was odd given they only did one 2 weeks earlier but the weather was just perfect.

"For the last time kid, not until after lunch" said Stan.

"But Grunkle Stan you don't know who hard it is to find the critter. If we start now, we may get lucky," replied Dipper.

He and Ford were planning to go looking for a rare lizard native only to the Gravity Falls area. But they had agreed to wait until after lunch. However, given how long Stan took to barbeque hamburgers, Dipper was beginning to worry that he may miss the chance to find them.

"Grunkle Ford come on you said it yourself. The Gastrope only appears at noon and it's already eleven thirty!" he yelled.

"I know Dipper, but we promised to stay and I owe Stanley after all for denting his car," Ford said.

"Yeah, if you saw the bill, you'd would be glad that I still have insurance on the old thing," Stan replied.

"But what if we miss or chance Grunkle Ford?" said Dipper, "Oh please, can we just at least try?" he begged.

"Well, I mean he has a point Stanley," said Ford, siding with the boy, "We may lose this opportunity if we stay for too long here. How about we take a quick hike and come back before you and Mabel start eating?"

Stan looked at Dipper who was basically begging him to say yes.

"Huh, fine!" he said, giving into Dipper's demand, "But if you two are not back within 5 minutes of me calling you, no adventuring for a week! You got it?"

The two nodded their heads and ran off.

Mabel arrived with the drinks from the car just as Ford and Dipper ran off.

"Let me guess, you let them go early, didn't you?" she said.

"Well, it was either that or hearing those two nerds talk about whatever lizard they're after for an hour," Stan said.

"Don't worry Grunkle Stan I'm sure that genuineness in them will pay off one day," said Mabel.

"I hope you mean with cash kid," said Stan, "At least you're normal. Well, sort of."

"I'm my own kind of person," replied Mabel, "And besides, you can't be an artist if you're always looking for lizards in the forest."

"Alright Picasso, why don't you help me get these burgers finished," said Stan laughing.

Mabel's innocence always put a smile on his face. He was lucky to have a niece as awesome and as loving as her.

Back in the forest Dipper and Ford had begun their search for the Gastrope.

"it's gotta be near," said Dipper.

"You're right. Perhaps it went that way," said Ford, pointing to a ravine.

"Or it could have gone towards that clearing over there," said Dipper, pointing to some lizard like footprints, "Maybe we should split up and hope one of us comes across it."

"Good idea," said Ford, "Yell if you find anything."

The two agreed and split up. Ford headed down towards the ravine while Dipper headed towards the clearing.

The walk was short but it looked like Ford may have been right. The lizard might have headed towards the ravine. With that in mind, Dipper started to head back.

The clearing he was in looked odd. It stuck out in the forest like an eye sore. It didn't seem like it belonged there. But Dipper did not notice.

As he walked back though, he began to feel the soil beneath him loosen up. It felt like he was walking in mud.

"What the heck? It hasn't rained in days," he thought to himself.

As he walked towards the treeline, the soil got looser and looser. He also began to notice the footprints he left behind were disappearing by themselves. It was weird, until finally…

The ground gave away beneath him.

Dipper watched as the ground affectively ate him up. He tried to scream for help but the soil had covered the hole up. He looked around to figure out where he was. It was an odd looking small cavern. He had no idea what it was or where he was. He tried to push the ground up but it did nothing. He tried screaming but they must have either fell to deaf ears or the hole was soundproofing him since no one heard his cries.

Dipper soon began to feel sleepy. His eye lids got heavier and heavier until he gave into sleep's waiting grasp.

He slept, and he slept.


	2. Chapter 2: A Very Long Sleep

Dipper awoke in a daze. He had no idea where he was. There was not a light source to be seen. Soon it came back to him, he had _fallen_ into a pit of some sort and fell asleep Most likely from how he felt, it had only been for a few hours. He tried kicking the ground above him. It was loose. A few kicks and soon daylight peered through.

He slowly climbed out like a zombie. The first thing he did was look at his watch. It was not working. The batteries were dead.

"Great," he said, "I just bought this thing last month!"

Dipper looked at the position of the sun for the time. It was low in the East. Early morning.

"Gosh, I was asleep for that long?" he thought, "Grunkle Stan, Ford and Mabel must be worried sick."

Getting up, he began to walk back to the camp site. Maybe the three had returned to look for him?

The scenery was much different to what he had remembered. The trees looked taller, weeds were much more prominent.

"Grunkle Stan? Grunkle Ford? Mabel?" he yelled. There was no response.

He walked to the campsite. Or at least what was left of it, for when Dipper arrived, there was nothing but trees, leaves, and broken old benches.

He now began to worry. Where was he? Was this the same place? How long had he actually been stuck?

"I gotta get back to the shack" he thought.

Dipper ran through the forest. It was much different to what he remembered. Everything looked taller…and older.

Soon in the horizon the shack appeared. But something was not right. It looked much older, the sign was now an LED and the golf cart was no longer there. Dipper grew more nervous. Where had he ended up? When did he end up?

With a heavy heart, he walked up to the front door and gave it a knock. Something about the whole place made him feel uneasy. He was about to knock again when he heard footsteps approaching. The door swung open. A tall man who looked to be in his 50's stood there.

"Sorry pal, the Mystery Shack is closed today. Come back tomor-

DIPPER"

"Soos?!" he replied.

Dipper could not believe his eyes. There was Soos, standing in front of him, but he was 30 years older.

"Dipper? Is…is it really you?" he said, "Quick, what did I shave into my head when we investigated that mailbox."

"Uh, a baby duck holding a paddleball?" said Dipper.

"Holy Toledo's it really is you, Dipper!"

Soos pulled him into a tight embrace. He was reunited with his long-lost friend.

"Yes, it's me Soos now where am-"

Before he could finish the sentence Soos lifted him up. There were a few tears coming out of his eyes.

"So, I'm not dreaming. You are here. You're alive. And still 13? Wow," said Soos.

"Of course, I am Soos," said Dipper, "I've only been gone for like a day."

Soos looked at him confused.

"Uhh Dipper," he said, "It's been thirty years since you disappeared."


	3. Chapter 3: Thirty Years Without You

Soos showed Dipper a calendar. He was not lying. The date was July 12th, 2043. Thirty years in the future. He had been asleep for 30 years! Melody had showed up too. She came down after hearing Soos talk in a loud and excited tone. She too was shocked too see Dipper was alive and still a kid.

Now that they had all calmed down from what they had experience, the 3 were in the kitchen as Soos cooked up some breakfast.

"I hope you're hungry Dipper," he said, "Melody always goes on and on about my omelettes."

"Only because they're the best in the whole country" she said.

"Oh, please," said Dipper, "After being asleep for thirty years, of course I'm gonna be hungry."

They all started laughing.

"Oh, Soos, these are amazing!"

"Thanks dude," he replied, "Stan taught me how to make them. I improved a bit on the recipe. Added a little Soos twist to it."

"Speaking of him, where are Grunkle Stan and Ford?" asked Dipper.

Soos and Melody both looked at him with an expression filled with sadness. Dipper knew what it meant.

"Oh."

"Ford seven years ago and Stan a few years before him" Soos said, fighting back tears himself.

Dipper looked around the kitchen for a second. Everything seemed different to him now. "What about everyone else?" he said.

"Wendy used to work at the local lumber mill. Then she joined the armed forces. Something about always wanting to drive a tank," Soos said.

Dipper smiled a bit, "Yeah, I know where that crazy fantasy of hers came from," he said.

"Pacifica still works at Greasy's Diner."

"Wow. Must be an improvement for her I'm guessing" Dipper said laughing. "What about old Gideon?"

Soos laughed. "Last I heard he moved to Washington DC to peruse a political career. Thankfully he's never been elected into any office as far as I know."

"Oh phew, last thing we need is Gideon as president," Dipper said jokingly.

"So, what about you Soos? I'm guessing you and Melody married?"

"We did," said Melody, "Stanley and Stanford both left the shack to Soos in their wills and we both decided we had to keep the Mystery Shack going."

"I will say Mr. Pine's suit has gotten a lot tighter over the years" Soos said.

The three all laughed. But Dipper wasn't done asking questions. He had asked about the fate of every person he knew but one. The most important one to him at that. He looked up to Soos.

"What about Mabel? Where is she?"

Soos looked back at Dipper a bit nervous, "Mabel…well, what do I say," he replied with a sigh.

"What happened to her?!" yelled Dipper, "Is she okay?!"

"Well, I mean after you disappeared, she wasn't," Soos said, "She was a disaster. We all worried about her a lot in later years."

"She never fully got over losing you," said Melody, "We all thought you were dead Dipper. You know that, right?"

"Now I know," replied Dipper, "I can't even begin to imagine what all of you have gone through but what I need to know right now is…is if Mabel's okay?"

"She still lives in in your hometown in California," said Soos, "Your parents rarely let her come back here since that summer we lost you. She's 43 now, an art college graduate, owns her own studio and art school and she even has a family of her own."

"Wait, Mabel's married" Dipper said surprised.

"Yeah," said Melody, "He's a great guy. We met him once when we visited her. They both have two kids."

"Wow," said Dipper, "Time really has flown by. You…you think I could maybe…well, you know-"

"Talk to your twin sister who thinks you've been dead for 30 years and prove you're still alive but also still the same age you were when you went missing?" Soos said, interrupting Dipper's sentence.

"Uh, yes?" he replied.

Soos laughed. "I'll give her a call. Hopefully she picks up. I think we last spoke on New Years. She's real busy these days," he said, getting up to get the phone.


	4. Chapter 4: The other Pine

_Piedmont, California_

_July 12__th__, 2043_

At the end of a quiet road in a beautiful suburban neighbourhood lay a house. It was like all the other houses. The front yard was well mowed and the lawn had a few flowers blooming on it. The mailbox though gave away the residents.

_PINES_

"For the last time, its my turn!"

"You're such a push over Daron! I've been wanting to read that book for ages"

"Yeah, well I want to finish reading it Mike!"

Daron and Mike were both arguing over a book. A good book at that.

"You know what, I'm done. MOM, DARON WON'T SHARE!" yelled Mike.

"Mama's boy," said Daron.

At that moment their mom walked into the living.

"What's going on in here?" she said.

"Daron is not sharing the book with me," Mike replied

"I am mom," said Daron, "Mike just won't let me finish it. I'm on the last chapter I swear!"

Their mom started to laugh, "You kids just don't get along, do you?" she said, "Well, it's my fault for making you come down here. You were better off upstairs playing video games."

"I guess. But do we really never get along?" Mike asked.

"Well, you two are not like me and my brother were at your age let's put it that way" she replied.

"Oh, Mom do have anymore stories about your summer with him? I love that one about the giant robot monster" Daron said.

Their mother, Mabel, smiled, "Well sit down and I'll see if I have anything."

The twins both sat down in an instant as they patiently waited for their mom's story.

"Oh, here's a good one. This one time at the start of the summer, I started dating this cute looking boy."

"Was he dad?" Daron said.

"Oh no," said Mabel, "His name was Norman. I thought he might be a vampire but Dipper thought he was a zombie. He ended up being a bunch of gnomes stacked on top of each other. They kidnapped me to become their gnome queen."

The two kids looked on in awe.

Mabel laughed. "Yeah, it was one heck of an ordeal. Dipper showed up in the golf cart and we both escaped. The gnomes almost got us again but we discovered their weakness…

LEAFBLOWERS!"

"What? Leaf blowers? Really?" Mike said.

"Yeah," said Mabel, "We blew them away with it back into the forest. Dipper saved me and then I saved both of us. But really if it was not for him coming to save me, I think I would still be gnome queen of Gravity Falls."

"And we'd be part gnomes?" said Daron.

The kids both started to laugh.

"Wow, that was some story," said Daron, "Did Dipper really do all of that?"

Mabel nodded. "Yeah, my brother sure was something. He did so much for me and for everyone around him. And he never asked anyone to repay the favor. He did it all out of the goodness of his heart. He was a blessing."

"You miss him still, don't you mom?" asked Mike.

"Mike! Don't say that!" Daron yelled.

"No, don't worry sweetie, it's alright. Yes, I do miss him a lot. He was my brother after all. You both would have loved him. I'm sure he would love both of you very much too" Mabel said.

The three sat in silence for a while.

"Okay then, about this book issue," said Mabel, "Looks like unless I buy a new copy it's not going to be resolved. Okay fine, you two win. But I want you both downstairs in an hour for lunch. Okay?"

"Thanks mom," both kids said at the same time as they ran upstairs.

Mabel looked on as they ran up. Once they were gone she grabbed the tablet off the coffee table and used it to turn on the plasma TV in front of her.

"Call Tim," she said.

"Dialing Tim Pines. One moment Mrs. Pines," the computer said.

Soon the call went through and Mabel was starring at the screen with Tim on it.

"Oh, hey honey how's it going?" Tim said.

"I'm good. How about you? Has your flight departed yet?" she asked.

"No not yet. There's a storm over the Pacific so my flight to Hong Kong has been delayed," he replied, "Hopefully we'll get going before nightfall. How are the kids?"

"Well, Daron and Mike just had another one of their world-famous arguments," said Mabel, "Other then that all is well. I got 3 weeks off from the studio so I'm just getting some pieces done for an exhibition. Oh, and the kids made me tell them another one of my Gravity Falls tales."

Tim laughed. "Yeah, they sure do love those. I don't know why you've not taken them there yet. You took me before they were born. I'm sure Daron and Mike would love checking the place out and meeting old Soos. You got some off time. How about drive down there and surprise the guy?"

Mabel smiled but with hesitance. "You know I want to Tim. But…I'm afraid. You know I lost Dipper there and I don't want to lose one of them the same way. And I mean, Daron is so much like Dipper was when he was her age. And Mike is like a boy version of me. Look what happened to Dipper and Mabel generation one. I don't want generation two to suffer as well!"

"You do know that no matter how similar they are to you and Dipper, they are two different children altogether" Tim said.

Mabel looked on slightly depressed, "I know."

"Look Mabel, I know why you don't wanna take them to Gravity Falls. But you have to face that fear one day. The kids are twelve already. Their childhoods are ending soon. Taking them there will give them a memory they will never forget."

Before Mabel could reply, her cellphone rang. "Hold up, let me see who this is first."

Tim nodded as he waited for her to return.

Mabel walked into the hallway as she looked down to see who was calling. The display read: "Incoming call: Mystery Shack - Soos". Mabel looked surprised. Why was Soos calling her? She picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Mabel, its me, Soos."

"Oh, hi Soos. What a surprise. It's so good to hear from you again," Mabel said.

"You too hambone. How are you, Tim and the kids doing?" he said.

"Oh, I'm fine," said Mabel, "I have a few weeks off, Tim's on a business trip to Hong Kong for a month and Daron and Mike? Well let's just say if it was not for me they would have torn each other apart limb from limb by now."

Soos laughed. "Yep, they're opposite of you and Dipper, I guess. Hey, Mabel, there's something you need to know," he said in a more serious tone.

"Is everything okay? Is Melody alright?" Mabel asked.

"Yes, everything is fine but, Mabel, look, you have to come down here…fast!"

Mabel sighed. "Look Soos I told you. As much as I want to visit Gravity Falls, I can't. You know I have a job, a family, two kids!"

"I know Mabel but can't you bring them along too?"

"Soos, you know why I can't. I told you that before. But what's so important that you need me to come over for?" Mabel asked.

"Well…how do I say it? It's about Dipper."

Mabel gasped, "What…what do you mean? What about him?" she said.

"Mabel…Dipper's alive. He just came back. I didn't believe it myself but it's really him. He's not dead Mabel. I swear," Soos said in one breath.

Mabel stood motionless. The color drained from her face. Chill after chill raced down her spine. The shock of what she had just heard was too much. She nearly collapsed on the floor, saved only by a bench.

"You there Mabel?" Soos said.

"I'm coming!" she said.

"What?"

"Thirty years, and he shows up now?!" she yelled, "I don't know how but I'm on my way that's what" Mabel yelled into the phone.

She had already hung up the line when Soos tried to reply.

"So, what did she say" Dipper asked as he walked back into the kitchen.

"Well, I think you might just find out yourself. She's coming here," Soos said.

Dipper did not know how to respond to this news. On the one hand he was more then ready to see Mabel after 30 years. But was he really? Was she even ready?

Back in Piedmont, Mabel walked back into the living room.

"Wow, you were gone for a while," said Tim, "Who was that?"

"It…it was Soos" Mabel said.

"Oh, what a nice coincidence. Did you tell him I said hi?"

Mabel nodded.

"Hey, is everything alright? You look a bit distressed."

"I have to go to Gravity Falls" she said.

"What?" said Tim in surprise, "I thought you said you weren't planning to. What made you change your mind?"

"It's Dipper," she said, "He's not dead. He's alive Tim. And he is in Gravity Falls as we speak!"

The next thing Mabel knew, she, Daron and Mike were in a car on their way up to the little town in the pacific northwest.


	5. Chapter 5: Times have changed

The next morning Soos decided to show Dipper how much the world and in turn Gravity Falls had changed. It was not long until Dipper began to see what the world of 30 years in the future looked like and surprisingly, it was not at all like what the movies had said.

Cars were still not flying although now electrical. Supersonic jets did not grace the skies with their elegant delta wings but instead, sleek planes no different to the ones he saw fly over the town occasionally flew by. Many trees still stood and the town itself was in many ways the same Gravity Falls that Dipper knew and loved.

They stopped off at Greasy's Diner for lunch although give the circumstances, Dipper could not leave the car. Eventually Soos returned with some food.

"So, does Pacifica still work here" asked Dipper.

"Oh, yeah dude," said Soos, "Her family never recovered their fortune. She owns the place now. Lazy Susan said she was the best employee she ever had and was the perfect replacement for her after she retired."

"Well I'll tell you; she makes omelettes just as good as Lazy Susan did" said Dipper as he ate his food.

The two laughed and chatted, catching up on things. Mostly it was Soos talking given Dipper had effectively been "dead" for 30 years.

"You sure you're not a zombie?" asked Soos.

"Well, I haven't tried to eat your brain yet so that's a sign I guess," replied Dipper.

The two eventually arrive at a more sombre destination. The Gravity Falls cemetery.

Soos starts by showing Dipper a memorial plaque built in his honour.

"In loving memory of Dipper Pines, 1999-2013. Son, brother, nephew, a true friend, Forever, in our hearts" it read.

"We all thought you were gone. So, we built this before Mabel left for good that summer. I often found myself coming here more then once a week. Sometimes alone, sometimes with Mr. Pines and sometimes other Mr. Pines" said Soos.

"Where are they?" asked Dipper.

"Over there," said Soos pointing to two headstones side by side.

"We lost Stan first," said Soos, "Ford went only a few years ago. He asked me for some reason to make his tombstone smaller then Mr. Pines. I guess it was some promise he had. I never asked why though."

"I can't believe they're really gone," said Dipper, "I mean, how hard was it on them?"

"Very hard," replied Soos, "Ford blamed himself for losing you. Stan blamed himself for letting you both go. But they never got over it. I guess they're both are looking down at us and might finally be at peace now knowing that you're not dead."

"I hope" said Dipper as he sat down in between Stan and Ford's stones tearing up.

Just then, Soos's phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Oh, she is? Okay, we'll be right back," he said as he hung up.

"What is it Soos?" asked Dipper.

"It's Mabel," he replied, "She's waiting for us. Come on."

Dipper followed with both the feeling of excitement knowing he would finally be reunited his sister after 30 years and also dread. What would she say knowing he is 13?

* * *

Back at the Mystery Shack, Mabel, Daron and Mike had arrived. Melody was talking with Mabel and catching up on stuff.: how the kids were doing, politics, some other things girls talk about, etc.

"Well I'll tell you Mabel, Mike and Daron have turned out to be two fine young children," said Melody, "I mean, they took their own bags inside and even opened the door themselves."

Mabel laughed. "Yeah, that's their guest attitude. You should see them back at home. I'm lucky if they can get along for even a minute," she said.

"Ah the miracle of kids huh" replied Melody, "They're a blessing sometimes-"

"And a nightmare all the other times," said the two of them simultaneously.

Mike and Daron then raced downstairs.

"Hey mom, is that bedroom in the attic where you and Uncle Dipper slept when you were here?" Daron asked.

"You found it, didn't you?" said Mabel, "Yeah, that's were me, Dipper and Waddles used to plot all of our adventures from. We slept only when Grunkle Stan came upstairs."

"Can we stay in the attic?" asked Mike.

"Well, you'll have to ask Melody that I'm afraid," said Mabel," It is her shack after all."

Mike and Daron looked over to Melody with the usual puppy dog expression kids would make prior to demands.

"Oh, of course you two can sleep there," replied melody, "Just don't mess it up."

"Thanks Melody," the two yelled as they ran upstairs.

"Well, I still think they're well behaved, she said, "I mean they haven't argued at all since they got here."

"Again, not at home Daron and Mike are WAY different to at home Daron and Mike" said Mabel.

"Well, I'll tell you, they have that spark in them you and Dipper had at their age," said Melody, "Speaking of him, how did you react to the phone call?"

"Same way you'd expect any sister would after hearing that her long lost brother is not dead," said Mabel, "I nearly fainted!"

"Next thing I knew, I threw a few suitcases in the trunk and me and the kids were on our way here. I just hope Dipper won't think I've changed too much. And I hope he's still they way he was."

"About that," said Melody, "Dipper is…well let's just say he's still very much they way he was back then."

"Well that's a plus," replied Mabel, "Wherever he's been all these years thankfully hasn't drained him of who he is."

"No, I mean, he really is the same way he was then."

Before she could respond the sound of the front door opening filled the room and Mabel raced off. Her mind was clouded with every thought imaginable. What would Dipper look like after 30 years?

Would he recognize her?

Had he learned to use a washing machine?

She ran into the front area of the shack. But she was not prepared for what she saw.

Mabel came to a halt the second she got a look of him. There he was. Dipper. Her long-lost brother of 30 years.

But from what she saw, she might have been thirty years younger too.

Dipper looked up, "Mabel?" he said in a soft voice. He still could not grip the reality. It had been 30 years. Mabel had grown up. No longer was his twin sister a kid, and yet…he was.

"Dipper?" Mabel said. She could hardly believe it. Dipper really was there, yet younger.

A lot younger.

"It…it's been a while, huh?" said Dipper.

He did not even notice as Mabel ran over to him and gave him a huge hug.

It felt weird. He was used to Mabel being able to lift him up when she hugged him but this was beyond that. He felt like he was flying.

"I can't believe it. It's really you," she said.

"Of course, it's me. Who else?" he responded.

"Yeah, I should have told you on the phone," said Soos, "He's still thirteen."

"Yeah, that would have been helpful," said Mabel, "But…but I don't understand how, or what, or…or…you're alive and…and still…what?"

"I know you must have a million questions," said Dipper, "But trust me, I do too."

There were many questions that needed answering, but for now, all that both of them needed was a hug. A hug neither of them had thought would ever happen again.


	6. Chapter 6: The Last Thirty Years

The sun set on what had ended up being one incredible reunion. The twins had talked for hours. Mabel introduced her children to Dipper. They were genuinely surprised to see he was their height. Mabel made up an excuse that he hadn't grown since he was 13 due to some illness and it worked as a good cover story. Daron and Mike were still kids after all. They had no idea about the weirdness within this town which had halted Dipper from growing up. But then, Dipper and Mabel had been in the same position when they first began uncovering the mysteries of Gravity Falls all those years ago.

Melody had to go back to work the following day so she had gone to bed early. Daron and Mike were asleep too. It was only Dipper, Mabel and Soos up. Dipper and Mabel sat in the living room and talked.

"No way," said Dipper, "Hong Kong?"

"Yup," replied Mabel, "It was a lovely honeymoon destination as it turned out. I really do wanna go back there one day."

Just then, Soos returned with drinks. Two glasses of wine for himself and Mabel, and a juice box for Dipper.

"Oh, my goodness Soos you did not," said Mabel.

"Yes, it is," said Soos as Mabel grabbed one of the glasses and took a sip.

"I was missing that taste," said Mabel, "Between work, a husband who's always travelling and two kids, this is like therapy all over again!"

"I didn't know you drank," said Dipper, "or went to therapy."

"Well, for one, you've been gone for thirty years so obviously you'd not know, said Mabel, "And, let's just say, I don't do one of those two things anymore." She winked.

The three of them cheered. As Dipper drank his juice, he could hear Mabel and Soos laughing.

"What…what's so funny?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing," said Mabel.

Dipper shrugged and took another sip of his juice. Mabel and Soos laughed again.

"Okay, seriously, what's so funny?" he yelled.

"Oh, nothing dude," said Soos.

"It's just…we're drinking wine while you're having a juice box," said Mabel.

The two of them burst into laughter.

"Yeah, well, you do know I'm technically as old as you Mabel," said Dipper.

"Yeah, but legally, you're still underaged so we can't let you have any," said Soos.

"You two are already drunk," said Dipper as he rolled his eyes.

"Eh, I'm not always anymore," said Mabel, "I guess the last time I was…was back when I thought about you again that one night."

Dipper looked at his sister. She was now thirty years older but he could still see the Mabel Pines he knew and loved was still alive and well inside her.

"What happened to you Mabel?" said Dipper, "What did the last thirty years do to you?"

Mabel sighed before she took a long sip of her drink. She then looked to Soos, who nodded. Nodding back, she looked foreword to Dipper.

"It all began, on the day you disappeared."

"We looked all day for you," said Soos, "But after the third day, even the police had said the odds were bleak."

"Eventually…Grunkle Stan made the difficult phone call to mom and dad," said Mabel, "They showed up the next day and demanded answers. Grunkle Ford tried spare Stan of the blame but the two wouldn't let each other take more of it. They knew it was both their faults they lost you."

"And…where were you during that?" asked Dipper.

"Upstairs," replied Mabel, "In our room. Crying, I guess. Crying because I lost my brother. And from how severe the argument had been. I knew then that I was gonna lose Grunkle Stan and Ford too."

"We had a memorial service and everything for you the day before…"

"The day before I left," said Mabel, "Mom and dad no longer trusted Grunkle Stan and Ford. They banned me from ever going back to Gravity Falls and banned the two of them from visiting. When I said goodbye to them both at the end of that summer cut short…it was goodbye for a very long time."

"Did mom and dad improve afterwards?" asked Dipper.

Mabel shook her head, "They never really did. Even now. I didn't even call them and let them know you're here. Not until I was sure. As mad as I may be with them, I know they did it for my own safety. Even if it meant them becoming overprotective of me."

"The rest of that summer was not fun. I spent the majority of it in our room…crying. Some nights I'd stay up and just look out the window, thinking, and drinking sodas."

"How was high school without me?" asked Dipper.

"Hell!" said Mabel, "Without you to help me, I barely passed first semester. But then the next semester, I discovered my artistic talents. I was top of the class and took as many art courses the school had to offer for grade ten. But then came math."

Mabel downed her glass, "Soos, refill?" she said.

As Soos poured her another glass, Mabel resumed her story.

"Without you to help me, I failed math."

Dipper gasped, "How did mom and dad take the news?"

"Not lightly," Mabel replied, "But they let me off with a warning. I guess they assumed I flunked because I was still not over losing you. And along with you not being around, they were still a wreck. I guess that's what my therapist said too."

"Can you explain the therapist part?" said Dipper.

"Mom and dad got recommended by the school that year to take me to therapy to try and help me out," said Mabel, "I didn't want to go but they assumed it would help me overcome losing you. By then you had been declared legally dead."

Dipper looked on with a shocked impression.

"Ultimately, I think therapy was the best thing that ever happened to me," said Mabel, "My therapist was amazing and she let me open up about things I never even told you. She also helped me unlock more of my artistic side. And that year, I once again excelled in art. I made up for math in summer school. Honestly, it felt nice not being stuck in the house. It was also fun talking to people again."

"Did mom and dad get any better by then?" said Dipper.

"A little," replied Mabel, "They let me hang out with friends from school and once I got a phone, I was basically allowed to be out for as long as I wanted. But I didn't go out much. I spent a lot of my time painting and sculpting. I convinced mom to buy me a lifetime's supply of arts and crafts stuff and I converted our room into a mini studio. Your bed got replaced by my art projects."

Dipper laughed, "Thanks, I loved that bed."

Mabel laughed back, "Yeah, but I needed the space. And to be honest, I think that was the time I really began to see mom and dad start to get over the grief stage of losing you. I think seeing me paint as a hobby made them pursue their own. But mine was not going to be a hobby. I had plans."

"That was also around the time me and Melody got married," said Soos, "I invited Mabel and her parents."

"Did you go?" said Dipper.

Mabel sighed, "I really wanted to. But mom and dad wouldn't let me. Not even when I asked them to come with me. They just didn't want me to go back to Gravity Falls."

Dipper could see Mabel's eyes watering up. He handed her a tissue.

"Thanks," she said, "We had a huge fight that night about it. The biggest one since the night before they took me back from Gravity Falls. We all said things to each other we'd not normally say. I had a literal breakdown that night. I really was not in a good place that day. I even broke down to my therapist."

"It was a bummer not having Mabel there," said Soos, "But me and Melody did visit her the following summer.

"By that time, I was turning eighteen. And that's when my life changed for the better," said Mabel, "I had applied to a couple top level art schools and my first pick accepted me."

"Congrats Mabel," said Dipper.

"Thanks," she replied, "And not only that. They loved my art portfolio so much that they gave me a full-on scholarship. I ended up barely paying anything. Good thing because I spent the money mom and dad originally had saved up for my College tuition on a car. Before I left for school, I visited Gravity Falls again."

"I remember that," said Soos, "I'd never seen both Mr. Pines' cry before that."

"Oh?" said Dipper.

"Yeah, it was a bitter sweet reunion," said Mabel, "I couldn't stay for long before mom and dad would have realized I went to Gravity Falls rather than school but it felt so nice to catch up with all of them again. They had aged so much. They spent all those years looking for you."

"Me?" asked Dipper.

"Yes," replied Mabel, "They never gave up the search and kept looking for you for years after. Even if they could find anything off yours, it would have meant a lot. Perhaps give them closure. I didn't stay long before I had to get to campus. That was where I met Tim."

"Tim?"

"He's my husband," said Mabel, "He was a business student in his second year. I was an art student in her first year. It's funny how love works. I thought I understood it well as a kid but I never would have guessed how mine would work. After he graduated, I continued my studies and graduated top of my class."

"Wow," said Dipper, "Now it makes sense why Soos told me you opened a studio."

"Yeah," said Mabel, "I opened it after I graduated. I reunited with Tim as he worked in an office nearby and we both started dating. He wasn't a bad artist himself. We got married three years later."

"Awww, congratulations Mabel," said Dipper.

Mabel laughed, "You're late nineteen years Dip," she said.

"Better late than never, huh?" he replied.

"I guess," said Mabel, "Me and Tim decided we weren't gonna have kids for a while so we spent the next few years travelling a lot. I finally and properly reunited with Grunkle Stan and Ford. It felt so nice to see them again. But by then…"

Mabel started tearing up.

"What happened?" asked Dipper.

Soos whispered it into Dipper's ear so that Mabel wouldn't hear.

"How bad was it?' he asked.

"Stage four by then," said Soos.

Mabel came back around to finish the sentence.

"Stan…Stan held out though," she said, "He was in a bad state, but…but he made it to when Mike and Daron were born. It's funny, twins seem to run in the family. He and Ford were twins, you and I are twins…well, I don't know about now but…and so are them."

"What happened to Grunkle Stan after that?" asked Dipper.

"We…we lost him the next year," said Mabel with a sigh, "I convinced mom and dad to let Ford come be with us. They still held a grudge against him for what happened to you but I think in those last years, they really made amends with him."

"Did Grunkle Ford ever stop looking for me after that?"

"By then we all had accepted the fact you were gone," said Soos, "Mr. Pines left the Shack to me in his will and Ford told me I could do whatever I wanted with it before he moved to California. But I chose to keep the Mystery Shack going."

"Ford really was great to have around," said Mabel, "He and Tim really got along well. Which is funny because family like that normally never does. But sadly, that wasn't to last forever either."

"I got the call from Mabel," said Soos, "I still can't believe that was three years ago."

"It wasn't easy on any of us," said Mabel, "But, by then, I guess I'd lost far too many close relatives that recovering didn't take as long as it did last time. I'm just glad I got to bond with Grunkle Stan and Ford again. It was hard living without seeing them."

"You okay now?" asked Dipper.

Mabel smiled as she finished up her glass, "I'm better than okay now, Dipper. I got you back. Sure, you're not exactly as old as I am, but you're back nonetheless. I've missed you so much."

Mabel stood up and gave Dipper a hug.

"I still gotta get used to the fact you're forty-four now," said Dipper.

"Oh yeah?" replied Mabel, "imagine how I'm feeling? My twin brother is still thirteen."

Dipper, Mabel and Soos laughed about it until they all went to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7: A Risky Solution

The sun rose the next morning on what would end up being, one insane day indeed. Dipper sat in the kitchen as Mabel was making breakfast.

"Geez," she said as she handed him his food, "Even after thirty years, you still hate coffee!"

"Well, unlike you, I didn't endure sleepless nights in art school where it was my one true friend," he replied.

"You know I was a coffee addict well before I lost you," said Mabel.

"I know," said Dipper as he took a bit of his bagel, "anyways…where's the twins?"

"Right here of course," said Mabel, laughing.

"Haha very funny," said Dipper, "I meant Daron and Mike."

"Oh, Soos took them into town to explore," replied Mabel.

"I thought you didn't want them to see Gravity Falls," said Dipper.

"I trust Soos," said Mabel, "I trusted him then and I do now. And besides, the kids love him."

The two sat in silence for a bit. The sound of the clock ticking being the only disturbance.

"So, what's next?"

"What?" asked Dipper.

"Well, you're back from wherever you disappeared to," said Mabel, "What are you going to do now?"

"I…I honestly don't know Mabel," replied Dipper, "Is there even a place for me in this world now?"

"Of course, there is Dipper!" yelled Mabel, "You…you're back now! You can finally have a life again!"

"Mabel, it's been thirty years!"

"So what?" she yelled, "Some people go missing and turn up after forty years and still reintegrate back into society!"

"But they'll be forty years older!" he yelled.

Mabel paused.

"I…I'm sorry Mabel but…I can't. Maybe if I was as old as you I could, but not in this state."

"But you said it yourself that you were as old as me last night!" yelled Mabel.

"That was an in the moment thing," he yelled, "Look at me Mabel! I'm still the Dipper Pines I was all those years ago. The Dipper Pines who has been legally dead for thirty years!"

"We…we can get that reversed!"

"Oh yeah?" he said, "But then when they ask why I'm still thirteen, what do I say?"

"Just use the aging sickness trick I used on Mike and Daron," said Mabel, "It could-"

Dipper put his hand on Mabel's shoulder.

"Mabel," he said, "It may work on them, but not on anyone else. I can't stay in Gravity Falls."

"Then come back home with me!" she begged, "Mom and dad would want you back! I…I could set up some adoption gimmick so everyone will think you're someone else."

"Mabel, you know that wouldn't work."

"I don't care!" she yelled again, "I want to help you. I…I can't lose my brother again!"

Dipper gave his sister a hug.

"I know you do Mabel," he said, "But there's no room in this world for me anymore. As far as it's concerned, Dipper Pines is dead. If I show up, they'll be questions. Soos told me a bit about how the world is now. I can't show up out of the blue. I'm stuck."

Mabel had started to tear up, "What…what are you going to do then?"

"I…I don't know."

The two hugged again.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Mabel sat on the old couch on the porch having another drink. She looked up at the trees as their branches blew in the warm summer breeze. After all these years, Gravity Falls was still the same place she had come to know and love during that first summer.

She had much on her mind at that moment. Mainly, her talk with Dipper at breakfast. What was she to do? She desperately wanted to help him, but at the same time, she knew there legally was nothing she could do. Dipper just could not exist in her timeline anymore.

"How can someone exist without even having a reason to exist at all?" she thought.

Options flooded through her head but none seemed to make any sense or risked blowing his cover. Even if barely anyone but her family and friends remembered him, she still couldn't stop anyone from being suspicious, looking up Dipper and realizing he was somehow still around despite being legally dead for 30 years. That and the fact he was still a kid. She may have understood Gravity Falls' weirdness, but not everyone did. She couldn't rewind the clocks after all.

It then hit her.

And idea that could not only give Dipper a second chance, but give her a chance to get her brother back.

Racing upstairs and avoiding Dipper who lay on the couch watching TV, she walked into the attic and found her old box from that summer long ago. In it, she found a map she had drawn and promised to leave in Gravity Falls.

Using it, she ran out into the woods to where the X was drawn on it. Sure enough, she found the place still undisturbed after all those decades.

Using a shovel, she dug until a dirt covered box came into view. Mabel grabbed it and inside found a small button. She pressed it and it began to blink. After a while, and in one big flash of blue light, her old friend Blendin Blandin appeared.

After Weirdmageddon had ended and as an apology to her for what had happened, Blendin had given Mabel a button which when pressed would allow her to reunite with him and he'd help her out with anything she needed. She had been sworn into secrecy about it. Not even Dipper knew. Realizing its power, Mabel had decided to keep it hidden and buried it one night in the forest, promising to return to use it if she ever needed to. The time had now come.

"Blendin?" she said.

"Mabel?" he replied, "You're…much older than I remember."

"You're still as old as you were when I last saw you," she replied.

"In my time, we have the ability to decide how much we age," he said, "Technically I'm in my late seventies right now but I chose to stay thirty!"

"Was it because you had hair thanks to me and Dipper giving you some in Globnar?"

"Yes," said Blendin in a shame filled tone, "Anyways, where is Dipper?"

"Well, he's been gone for thirty years and returned only a few days ago, still thirteen," said Mabel.

"How did that happen?"

"He was trapped in some sort of box like thing until he woke up and was able to escape from it. I think it was in a nearby clearing."

That was when Blendin answered every question Mabel had about what had happened.

"I…I think I know why," he said, "A while ago, the…the Time council created a program to preserve animals from the past. You…you see, by 207̃012, Earth is a barren wasteland where everyone lives high above in cities on top of cities. Like from that movie saga from this century that man child's love."

"Star Battles?" asked Mabel.

"Yes," said Blendin, "Spoiler alert, the franchise is still popular in the future."

"Whatever," said Mabel, "Dipper and my great uncle Ford seemed to really love it."

"Anyways," said Blendin, "In order to save several species of animals for our Time Zoos, the council created a thing called a time vault. It was basically a trap which would capture an animal as it passed by, put it to sleep, and stop it from aging until a Time Agent could arrive to pick it up."

"So, you're saying that Dipper was stuck I one of your time period's stupid machines?!" yelled Mabel.

"I'm afraid so."

"Then why did no one come for thirty years to save him?!"

"Well, as it turned out, some of the devices would fail to alert us of when they caught animals and due to budget cuts, they never tracked where each one was. So, we lost a few like how the countries of your time period lost nukes. I guess the battery of the one he was trapped in died after thirty years and allowed him to be set free."

Mabel facepalmed.

"I can't believe this," she said, "Well, now you have a bigger reason to help me out since I now know this is all your people's fault!"

"Yeah, I guess," said Blendin, "What do you want?"

"Can you reset the timeline for me? said Mabel, "Just back to when Dipper went missing so that he doesn't fall into that…thing."

"Time Containment Vault!" yelled Blendin, "TCV for short. And…and I don't know about that. It's against Time Rules. Probably the biggest offence…messing with time."

"Look Blendin, I don't care right now if Bill Cipher himself came out of nowhere to help me here," said Mabel, "But he's been dead for decades now and you're my last hope. Dipper can't exist in this time. But if we can stop him from ever going missing, we can stop all this from ever happening."

"But Mabel, what about-"

"No buts Blendin!" said Mabel, "You've broken time rules before! What's the difference this time? I need your help!'

"Look Mabel, I…I wanna help you and given what happened in the past, I owe you the favour. But…but what you're asking of me is very risky. Do you have any idea what this may do to your life?"

"I don't care about what it may do to me," she said, "I just want to save Dipper. If it means sacrificing a bit, so be it! Do you know what he's given up for me in the past?"

"Mabel, you…you're not thinking straight," replied Blendin, "This would affect more than just you."

Mabel paused.

"Look, I know explaining it to you may not help so I'll cut you a deal. New time technology now allows you to witness your past self without changing any outcome of the past. Let me take you back and show you just how much your life and other people's lives will change if you go through with this. If I can't convince you, then fine, I'll change the timeline for you."

Mabel thought for a second, "You sure you're not possessed by Bill again?"

Blendin took off his goggles, "Look Mabel, it's me. No Bill here. Let me show you what this may do to your life before you make up your mind for good."

Mabel sighed, but she knew that Blendin would only help if she went with him. As far as she was concerned, her mind was set on changing the timeline and she couldn't think of any reason why she'd do things differently.

"Okay, fine," she said, "Show me!"

Blendin sighed, "Hang on."

With the pull of his time tape, the two disappeared off into time itself.


	8. Chapter 8: A Journey Back

Before setting off, Blendin took Mabel to the time archives where the records of every human that had ever lived were catalogued.

"Why are we here?" she asked.

"To look for your file," replied Blendin, "It should be in the Pines of the year twenty first century section."

"That's a lot of people with the last name Pines," replied Mabel.

"Yes, it is," said Blendin, "We've got Mabal Pines, Maybel Pines, Marble Pines, oh, here we go."

Mabel facepalmed, "That says Mable Pines you idiot. It's spelle L, Mabel! No E!"

"Whoops, my bad," said Blendin, "You'd be amazed how many people get such simple spellings like that wrong."

Soon Blendin found the correct folder.

"Got it," he said, "Mabel Pines, born August 31st, 1999, Piedmont California. Uh, do you want to know the date of your-"

"Uh, no thank you," replied Mabel.

"Oh good, because they don't write that date in these publicly available files," said Blendin, "Just in case some rich dictator shows up demanding to know how long they have until they die. You'd be amazed how often that happens."

Blendin poured through the documents in Mabel's folder and soon came up with enough information that could get Mabel to side with him. With the pull of his time tape, they headed off to the first location.

"Here we are."

Mabel looked around and to her shock, she discovered that they're in her bedroom in Piedmont.

"Where…I mean, when are we?"

"The first morning after you returned home from Gravity Falls after you lost Dipper," replied Blendin.

Mabel watched as her younger self walked into the bedroom, looked at the empty bed where Dipper once was and cried. She tried to reach out to her but Blendin held her back.

"Remember, we can see everything, but they can't see us and we can't interact with anything either in this method of time travel," he said.

"But what do I-"

"Just look."

Mabel watched as younger Mabel cried until Waddles walked into the room and started licking her hand.

"Thanks Waddles," she said, "Huh, I…I can't just sit here all day, can I?"

Waddles oinked.

"But then, mom and dad won't let me go outside other than the backyard and the pool."

"Wait, you guys have a pool?" said Blendin.

"Let's just say that while everyone in Gravity Falls knew me and Dipper were from California, only Grunkle Stan knew exactly where in California we lived."

The two resumed to watching younger Mabel. She looked down at a paintbrush just about sticking out from under her bed. She bent down to grab it.

"Hey, it's my old paint set," she said as she looked out the window. It was slightly overcast.

"You know, it sure is a lovely day…for painting."

The two watched for a little bit longer as Mabel set up her paint set and began painting the view outside.

"You see," said Blendin, "You…you rediscovered your talent of painting that day. The soon to be artist Mabel Pines was born today."

"Blendin, if you're trying to convince me that it took losing Dipper for me to discover my artistic abilities, and using that as a reason to convince me to not let you change the timeline, then you've failed," said Mabel, "I knew that well before that day. And besides, I'd happily trade that off to have Dipper back."

"That's not why I brought you here. I'm just starting at where it all began."

With another pull of the time tape, they disappeared off to their next destination.

"Oh, I know this one," said Mabel, "Summer School report card pickup day."

The two watched as the soon to be sixteen Mabel Pines happily skipped along with her report card in hand back home.

"I just about passed that math class, but it was enough for the credit which was all I cared about by then."

"You…you think Dipper being there would have helped you do better?"

"Duh! I'd still do bad, but it would be good enough to pass it first go. I wasted half of my summer too. On the plus side I ruled it in all my art classes."

"impressive."

"You know Blendin, none of this is convincing me that changing the timeline is a bad thing," said Mabel, "Or am I missing out on something?"

"Well, without Dipper, you failed math but excelled in the arts. Your parents then too took notice of that and let you drop both science and math the following year to pursue arts."

"They would have let me do that even if Dipper didn't disappear," said Mabel, "They expected him to end up in Harvard and me in a community College. That story Ford and Stan told us that day he came out of the portal was beyond relatable now that I think about it."

Blendin didn't reply to that until they reached their next destination. They arrived back in Mabel's bedroom. The room was now covered in paintings and the area where Dipper's bed once was, now was home to a mini art studio. Mabel, now seventeen sat at her desk on her computer.

"Why are we here and not my graduation?" asked Mabel.

"You'll see in a minute," said Blendin.

Suddenly…

"Oh my god!" yelled Mabel.

She covered her mouth as she screamed with joy.

"Mom! Dad!" she yelled as she leapt out of her chair and ran downstairs.

"I got in! I got in!"

"Oh, I remember this day," said Mabel, "it was the day I got accepted into the art school I applied to as first choice. They told me I had one of the best portfolios submitted that year. Must be why they also paid for pretty much my whole tuition with that grant."

"Your years of isolation left you in your room where you mastered your talent of art."

"Okay, so maybe I wouldn't have gotten in with full scholarship if Dipper didn't vanish as I wouldn't have his side of the room to put all my supplies in and mom and dad may have gotten me to pursue STEM courses more, but that doesn't mean that I got in only because of that," said Mabel, "That was through my hard work and commitment to get in."

"But what about what happened while you were at College?" said Blendin as he pulled the tape again.

"Wow, so, you're studying business?"

"Sure am. I'm already top of my class."

"So am I."

"Oh? What course?"

"Uh, well…"

"It's okay, you don't have to be scared."

From a nearby table, Mabel and Blendin watched the conversation.

"That was my first date with Tim," said Mabel, "I needed help finding the dean and he guided me to their offices."

"Would you say it was love at first sight?" asked Blendin.

"Not right then," said Mabel, "But then I replied to his question."

"Well, I'm in the arts program," said Mabel.

"You're top of the class in the arts program?" said Tim.

"For a freshman, they said I'm pretty good."

"Wow. I've heard the arts program here is one of, if not the best in the country."

"Yeah. And I'm here on full scholarship too."

Tim spit out his drink, "Oh my goodness!" he yelled, "That's incredible."

Mabel blushed a little, "Aww, thanks."

"We continued meeting after that until he graduated. I graduated two years later and reunited with him as he worked in an office nearby to where my studio is," said Mabel, "But Blendin, I still don't get it. All this stuff may have happened one way or another. What would be so significant that would result in me not wanting Dipper back? Other than the fact it's against your rules."

Blendin sighed, "This all started when you lost Dipper and it made your parents fearful of losing you. So, they became overprotective of you and that made you paint and do more arty stuff indoors given how much they isolated you. That combined with the fact you did bad in your non arts courses made your parents let you pursue it even more and by junior year, you were one of the best artists in the whole school. That got you into the best art school in the country."

"And all that still in some way could have happened had Dipper still been here."

"But what about Tim? You said he was amazed by your talent but also the fact you got your whole education paid for. If that hadn't happened, you think Tim would have still talked to you?"

"Are you trying to put my marriage at risk?" yelled Mabel.

"Think about it, Mabel," said Blendin, "That's all I'm asking of you."

Mabel thought for a second.

"Well, I mean, I guess a little. But what about when I opened my own studio and reunited with him? I made it because of my hard work, not because I lost my brother!"

"Yes, but from how things are, you think had your studio venture failed, he'd still want to marry you?"

Mabel snapped, "Okay, I've had just about enough of your games Blendin! You take me to all these places in my past to prove how much changing the timeline would affect my life and yet they just make me want to do it even more. So, what if I didn't discover my talent for art because I lost Dipper? So, what if I made the honour's role for STEM instead of art because Dipper helped me? So, what if I didn't get full scholarship into the art school of my dreams because I went down a less art filled junior and senior year and didn't have time to do any? So, what if I didn't meet Tim? I'd still have Dipper with me!"

"Don't…don't you see what you just said?"

"I…I didn't mean that last part," she said.

"No one ever does, and yet that's what happens each time any time agent deals with someone who wants to change the timeline."

"What are you trying to show me Blendin?"

"Mabel, if you never did any of that stuff, you wouldn't be the person you are today. An artist, a friend, a wife, and of course…."

The time tape was pulled again.

The duo landed in Mabel's house.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"Just look," said Blendin.

At that moment, the front door opened. Mabel and Tim walked inside. In their right hands, were two baby carrying baskets.

It was the day Mike and Daron, Mabel's children, were born.

"Aren't they the sweetest things you've ever seen?" said Mabel.

"Next to you, yes," replied Tim.

Mabel and Blendin looked on.

"And of course, you wouldn't be a mother," he said.

Mabel looked back at him. "Wait? Are…are you saying that if I go foreword with letting you change the timeline; I'll lose my kids?" she said.

"Not exactly," said Blendin, "Those odds can't be calculated for certain given how complicated time is. But the chances would be very high. Especially in your life with how many unexpected things occurred in it."

Mabel thought back for a second. Her mind raced at speeds as fast as light. Thoughts from the last 30 years flashed by like a movie only she could see and hear. The day she lost Dipper, the day she started painting again, the day she got into college, the day she met Tim and the day she married him too. But most of all, the day Mike and Daron were born. She began to cry.

"I…I can't do that to them," she said, "They're my babies. I can't risk losing them."

Blendin hugged his old friend, "It…it's okay Mabel. Now you know why messing with time isn't good. It maybe able to bring back one thing you lost. But it will take away something else from you in return…I think."

Mabel wiped away the tears, "I understand," she said, "But then, what about Dipper? He can't stay in my time period and now that altering the timeline is out of the question, what am I supposed to do to help him?"

"Well, there is one other option," said Blendin.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you…you didn't let me explain it given how keen you were on doing it this way. But the advancement of time technology has also allowed us to create and visit alternative timelines.

"What?" said Mabel.

"Basically, it's like an alternative dimension but a bit different given time travel exists in our universe. It…it's a timeline that exists alongside this one, but things are slightly different in that one. I could find a timeline similar to yours where Dipper falls into that vault, use the old-time travel method and bring our Dipper into that one so he…he's out of it. That way, he'll have a place where he can exist and that timeline's Mabel will still have her Dipper."

"Wow," said Mabel, "I barely understood any of that but all I needed to here was that Dipper would be able to exist and Mabel would still have him. But wait, does…does that mean I have to-"

"Yes," replied Blendin, "This method can give Dipper a place of his own, but that would mean you…you'd have to let Dipper go."

Mabel pondered for a second, "I've lived thirty years of my life without my brother. In that time, I went to art school, now make a living doing what I love, got married to someone who cares for me beyond just what I'm capable of and have two beautiful twins who call me mom."

She turned to face Blendin.

"Losing Dipper might be the toughest thing I'll ever have to do. But if that means he'll be able to live a life of his own, with a Mabel in a timeline who needs her brother…."

she sighed

"…than I'm ready to let him go."

Blendin smiled, "Let's go talk to Dipper then."

* * *

Back in present time, Mabel and Blendin returned and ran through the plan with Dipper.

"So, I'll be able to exist in a timeline where I previously didn't?"

"No, no," said Blendin, "That timeline's Dipper will have gotten trapped himself and when you show up, you'll replace him as the Dipper of that timeline given in that method of time travel, only one version of the same person can exist in that moment of time. It's so that we don't have those problems people who travel to other dimensions have. They come into contact with their alternative self and the whole dimension ceases to exist."

"Wow," said Dipper, "But, you're certain that it will work and let me live like none of this ever happened?"

"Yes."

"And will it affect this timeline in anyway?"

"Other than the fact you'll won't exist in this timeline anymore, no. You'll still be remembered by people who know you given this won't erase minds, but you won't exist in this timeline anymore."

Dipper thought for a second before her turned to his sister.

"What about you Mabel?"

"I already told Blendin that I'm okay with this," she said, "All we need is your approval and we'll go foreword with it."

"But…you just got me back," he replied, "I don't want to hurt you with the fact you'll never see me again."

Mabel put her hand on her brother's lap.

"Look Dipper. It would hurt me more to know that you exist here and have no way of leading a proper life than knowing I can never see you again but that you're safe and sound in another timeline. Where we're reunited and never had to live thirty years apart. I lived those thirty years thinking you were gone forever. I mean, you were legally declared dead. But now I'll have peace of mind knowing that you did live. And that now you'll have a chance to grow up and live a life like I had. I'll know that another me got to grow up with her brother, rather than grow up alone. What good is success when you don't have anyone to share it with after all?"

The two twins, with a 30-year age difference, pulled in for one more hug.

"I'll never forget you," said Mabel.

"Me neither," said Dipper.

"Okay Blendin, I'll do it."

Blendin and Mabel smiled.

"But can we do it tomorrow so that I have enough time to say goodbye to everyone?"

Blendin and Mabel looked at each other. Mabel nodded.

"Of course, bro, bro," she said.


	9. Chapter 9: Goodbye Home, I'll Forget You

The night rolled in over the hills as the sun slipped beneath the horizon. All was silent in the Mystery Shack as all who inhabited it, both permanently and temporarily, were fast asleep.

Blendin lay on the couch downstairs as it was the only spare place left in the aging structure that was fit for rest, what with all rooms now occupied with friends and family.

Deep into his slumber, Blendin swore he felt a tap on his shoulder. Awakening, his hunch was correct.

"Di…Dipper?" he said in a tired voice, "What are you doing and why are you up?"

Dipper sighed, "I'll explain in a moment," he said, "Just follow me, but quietly."

Reluctantly, Blendin got up and followed Dipper, who led him into the gift shop. There he watched as the boy opened the entrance to the old staircase behind the vending machine. He wanted to speak, but Dipper wouldn't let him until they reached the laboratory which lay 2 stories below.

"Okay Dipper, care to explain what the heck you're doing at three in the morning and why you dragged me into it?"

Dipper looked through an old box underneath one of the old, long silent machines that lay in the damp and decaying lab that once belonged to his great uncle.

"Oh, thank goodness," he said, "It's still here."

Dipper pulled out of the box a gun like device. It had a tall red tube connected to a small golden box and a long transparent bulb.

"Wha…what on Earth is that?" asked Blendin.

"I'll explain in a second," replied Dipper, "But when I tell you to, cover your ears, okay?"

Still confused, but trusting Dipper's word, Blendin nodded his head. He watched as he connected the device to an old radio. Dipper flipped the knob on the old device several times until he got the right frequency. He then did the same thing with the knob on the gun. But he wrote a word using it.

"Okay, now!" he yelled.

Blendin and Dipper both covered their ears and got down as the gun lit up and emitted through the wires and out through the radio antenna, a huge and ever-growing circle of blue light. Once it did that, the gun fell silent and the light turned off. Dipper got up and turned to Blendin.

"Do you know who I am?" he said.

"Uh…you're Dipper Pines, right?" replied Blendin.

"Exactly."

Upon hearing that, Dipper threw the gun to the ground, smashing it. He stomped on it repeatedly until he was certain it could never be salvaged and then threw it into a small garbage can nearby.

"Okay, two questions," asked Blendin, "What was that thing? What did it do? And why did you just break it?"

"That's three questions."

"I…I'm not good at time math, okay!" yelled Blendin.

Dipper sighed, "That's…that _was_ a memory gun. I used it to wipe my memory from everyone's mind. It was a trick I learned from my Grunkle Ford. If you connect the memory gun to a radio and set the frequency correctly, it can be used for mass memory wiping. I set the frequency to the regular human ear, which is why I told you to cover your ears because I needed you to remember me. And, I broke it so that no one else could use it."

Mabel had thought she destroyed the last memory gun in existence on her and their 13th birthday. But in reality, Ford had kept one in the basement just in case. Only Dipper knew about it.

"Blendin, we're going," said Dipper with a heavy heart, "Right now."

"Okay, I may not be the smartest time agent in the business, but even I can tell there's a huge problem with what you just did," said Blendin, "If you could wipe the memory of your existence from people, then why didn't you just do that and live in this timeline?"

"Two reasons," said Dipper, "First off, the effect of this memory gun is not permanent. It can be reversed if the person who's hit by it is exposed to the thing they were meant to forget. When my Grunkle Stan's memory was wiped, all it took was Mabel's scrapbook and a few family stories from all of us to jog it back. If I was to do the same thing here, people would remember me again the instant I looked at them. Even just hearing my voice would jog that memory. That's why I did this at night. Everyone's asleep. Now we can slip away without ever being caught and their memories of me will never return."

"But…but what about photos?"

"I looked around the shack. There's none of me here and given no one looks at the family photos from what Mabel told me, I should be able to slip away."

"I still don't get why you don't just try to use it as a way to stay here," said Blendin.

Dipper explained it to him.

"That's the second reason. Along with the fact people would remember me immediately, I don't belong here. Thirteen-year-old Dipper Pines is not supposed to exist thirty years in the future. He's supposed to exist thirty years in the past. With his family, his friends, his…his sister."

"Simply put…I wanna go home. Or be it, my timeline. I want to have a life, memories, to grow up…with Mabel and the people who I care about."

Blendin smiled, "That's so sweet."

Dipper laughed softly so that no one would wake up, "I guess. Now, let's get to that other timeline before anyone comes looking for us."

As they got ready, Dipper looked at his old home one last time and smiled.

"Goodbye Mabel," he whispered, "I'll never forget you."

With the pull of the time tape, Blendin and Dipper set off into an unknown.

* * *

_Tuesday July 23rd, 2013_

_Gravity Falls, Oregon_

* * *

The sun was high in the sky as the duo appeared. Looking around, Dipper and Blendin found themselves in the clearing in the forest where it had all happened.

"Are we in the correct timeline?" said Dipper.

"According to the tape, yes," said Blendin, "Are we in the right spot?"

Dipper looked at the clearing. He spotted the Gastrope, the lizard who he had been so eager to find which had indirectly caused this whole mess, run across the clearing and into the woods nearby. Its footprints disappeared behind it because of the device which he now knew lay below.

"Yes," he said, "This is the place."

"Perfect," said Blendin, "Stand back please."

He pressed a button on his wrist device and with that, the vault beneath them rose out of the Earth and shrunk itself down into the size of a cube. Blendin then picked it up and pocketed it.

"Now that sucker can't trap anymore unwanted by the future, animals."

Dipper gave Blendin a punch on the arm.

"Oh…and uh, unsuspecting kids too, I guess."

Dipper rolled his eyes. He was about to talk when…

"Dipper?"

"Ahh, who said that?!" yelled Blendin.

"It's Mabel," said Dipper, "She must be looking for me. I guess…I should go."

"Yeah, me too," said Blendin, "The council pays top dollar to people who return lost time vaults."

"Thanks for everything. Even if your people made the thing that robed me of a life and Mabel of a brother and-"

"Yeah, yeah, okay, no problem. Now go reunite with your alternative timeline sister while I go deal with this!"

The two shook hands and with that, went their sperate ways.

"Dipper? Where are you!" yelled Mabel.

"Over hear, Mabel!"

Mabel recognized that voice anywhere. She ran to the origin. She saw Dipper running to her.

"Dipper!"

"Mabel!"

The two raced into an embrace. But to Mabel's surprise, Dipper hugged her tighter than he ever had before.

"Woah, bro-bro, you good?"

"Oh, I…I'm fine," he said, "I just missed you, and Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford…a lot."

"Really?" replied Mabel, "Because you've only been gone for like an hour. Grunkle Stan sent me and Ford to go look for you. He thinks you're hiding from his barbequing."

Dipper laughed, "Nah. I just got a bit lost while looking for that darn Gastrope."

"And that's why you never go looking for weird creatures on an empty stomach," said Mabel, "Come on, lunch is ready."

Dipper smiled and with that, he followed his sister, who was still his age, back to the campsite, as if the last 30 years hadn't even happened.

But of course, they did. Just not in this timeline.


	10. Chapter 10: Epilogue:The Past Never Dies

_Gravity Falls, Oregon_

_July 15__th__, 2043_

* * *

"Mike, wake up."

"Ugh, what do you want," said Mike in a daze.

His twin sister Daron was standing over his bed looking down.

"Remember what we talked about yesterday?" she said, "We were gonna go out into the woods and explore."

"But didn't mom tell us not to?" replied Mike.

"It's still early," said Daron, "If we hurry, we can go out, check out a bit of the forest, and get back before she wakes up."

"You're bad…I like that."

He quickly got dressed up and the two tip toed downstairs. The sun was still creeping up over the horizon as the two made it to the exit. They were about to leave, when…

"Mike and Daron Pines! What on Earth are you both doing?!"

The twins turned around and sure enough, Mabel stood there looking down at the two of them.

"We…uh, it's not what it looks like mom!" yelled Daron, "We were, just…uh-"

"We were gonna go check out the forest," said Mike. He covered is mouth immediately once he realized he wasn't supposed to say that.

"Nice save moron," whispered Daron.

Mabel sighed, "Now kids, what did I tell you?"

"Not to go out without your permission or supervision?" said the twins.

"No."

Daron and Mike looked on confused.

"Well…I mean, yes, I did tell you that. But I also said don't go outside without being fully prepared."

"But mom, you never said that?" said Daron.

"Oh, did I?"

"Uh, no. You didn't."

"Well, I'm saying it now," said Mabel, "I guess, what I'm trying to say is, I don't want to see you both cooped up in the shack for the remainder of our stay here. If you wanna go explore, with me, Soos, or heck, alone, go for it. That's what I always used to do."

"Are…you okay mom?" said Daron.

"So, you don't wanna go outside?"

"No, no!" the twins yelled.

"I thought so," said Mabel.

The three of them smiled as the twins ran over to hug their mother.

"Oh, that reminds me, I have something for both of you."

Mabel turned around and handed Mike something.

"Woah," he said, "Is this a-"

"Yup, it's a grappling hook," said Mabel, "It used to be mine. It saved my life on several occasions too. Might come in handy for you too."

"Oh, I thought it was an actual gun. Thanks, though mom," said Mike as he started pointing it around.

Mabel laughed, "Oh Mike, like I'd ever be dumb enough to give you an actual one. And Daron, this is for you."

Mabel handed her a blue book with a pine tree on it.

"Woah," she said, "What's this?"

"It's a journal," said Mabel, "When you're exploring the forest, you gotta keep track of what you see. You can keep all sorts of things in this. That way you'll never forget your adventures."

Daron smiled, "Thanks mom," she said.

She then noticed a few ripped out pages and showed them to her mother, "Was this your Journal mom?"

Mabel paused, "Uh…well…let's just say, I was given this book by someone as a gift for someone else. But they never got to use it and I got it back. Now it's your turn to fill it up like it was always meant to be."

"Uh…okay," said Daron, still a bit confused.

"Alright, I've kept you two adventurers inside for long enough. Now get out there and explore," said Mabel.

And with that, the two waved goodbye as they set out for the forest.

"Geez, are you the same Mabel Pines that went to bed last night, or did you get replaced by a more responsible one?" said Soos as he walked in.

"How long were you standing there?" said Mabel.

"Oh, I just arrived when you told them to go explore."

"Yeah, well, I guess I've been a bit too hard on them. I mean, if it was me in their shoes and Grunkle Stan wouldn't let me leave the house, I'd try to sneak out too."

The two sat stood and watched for a bit as Daron and Mike ran off into the woods.

"You know, I always found it a bit odd," said Soos.

"What?"

"Well, I mean, in your family, Mr. Pines had a twin brother and your two kids are twins too. But yet, you were an only child."

Mabel pondered for a second, "Yeah. I guess it must've been a gene thing. Skipped a generation."

"It's a shame really, I always wondered what you having a twin sister or brother may have been like," said Soos, "Anyways, you want some coffee?"

"Oh, you bet I do," said Mabel, "I'll be right back though."

Mabel walked outside and sat once again on the old orange couch. There, she began processing what Soos had just told her.

"So, I wasn't dreaming," she said to herself.

The memories of what had happened last night flooded in.

* * *

Tired and wanting to get back to sleep, Mabel walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. Her childhood habit of a late-night drink had never ceased. But as she raised her glass to take as sip, a bright blue flash of light flew past her.

"What the heck was that?" she thought.

Following the source of it, she found herself standing by the entrance to the gift shop. The vending machine lay open in a way she hadn't seen it do for years. Someone was downstairs in Ford's old lab.

Grabbing a baseball bat that lay nearby, Mabel tip toed down the long flight of stairs. But as she reached the bottom, she could begin to hear who was downstairs all the way from above.

"…. If you connect the memory gun to a radio and set the frequency correctly, it can be used for mass memory wiping. I set the frequency to the regular human ear, which is why I told you to cover your ears because I needed you to remember me. And, I broke it so that no one else could use it."

The voice sounded familiar to Mabel. As if it was of someone she had known for ages. It then hit her.

"Di…Dipper?" she whispered.

She pressed her ear to the elevator doors and listened to the conversation that the two were having. Just from hearing his voice, her memories flooded back in. That first summer. That apocalypse. That day she lost him and that moment when she found out he was still alive.

"…there's none of me here and given no one looks at the family photos from what Mabel told me, I should be able to slip away."

"Slip away?"

Mabel was soon able to piece back what was happening and now knew what that ray of light was. Dipper had tried to make her and everyone else forget him. And while it worked, it didn't so with her.

She wanted to say something. She wanted to very much race down the elevator and stop him. But then she heard him say something which stopped her from doing that.

"Blendin, I did this because of Mabel. I know her better than anyone else. She maybe thirty years older, but she's still very much the Mabel Pines I knew all those years ago. I don't want her to suffer through losing me again. She almost lost me once. Then she did for thirty years. And now that she got me back, I'm leaving her again…permanently this time. I'm doing this for her. So that she can live her life without the guilt of losing me for a third and final time."

Mabel pulled her hand away from the elevator button. If Dipper had the will power to do that for her, then she felt that she needed to let got of him in order to repay that favor.

She heard Blendin sob a bit, the two talk a bit more, and then, she heard the unmistakable sound of the time tape as it disappeared with Blendin, and her brother into an unknown that she knew she'd never know the outcome of.

She went down into the lab and sure enough, she spotted the smashed up and beyond repair memory gun laying in the garbage. Nearby though, she found something else.

* * *

Now alone, Mabel took that thing out of her pocket.

It was a photo. A photo of her.

A photo of her, and Dipper.

A photo of her and Dipper on their first day in Gravity Falls all those years ago.

Mabel smiled and even teared up as she looked at the faded but still visible Polaroid. Those memories were now left in her mind only. She knew that while she could tell others, it would be a longshot to see if they even knew what she meant. She decided that this was maybe one story that was better off not being told.

"Hey Mabel!" yelled Soos from inside, "Your coffee is getting cold!"

"Coming Soos!"

She folded the photo up and put it back into her pocket.

As Mabel walked back inside, the sun rose over the horizon as it signalled the start of another day. Its light gleamed all across the woods and onto the shack. She looked on at it and back into the forests of Gravity Falls where memories of that summer long ago still lingered.

"Stay safe, bro-bro, I'll be okay," she said, before walking back inside the shack for a cup of coffee.

* * *

**The End**

* * *

**"_Memories are the treasures that we keep locked deep within the storehouse of our souls, to keep our hearts warm when we are lonely."_**

**_\- Becky Aligada_**


End file.
